A high court in Accra says it cannot put the ongoing criminal trial against Mr James Gyakye Quayson on hold as the ousted MP had desired pending the 27 June 2023 Assin North by-election in which he is a candidate for the main opposition National Democratic Congress.
Mr Quayson’s name was expunged from the parliamentary roll on the orders of the Supreme Court which determined that his election as MP in 2020 was unconstitutional.
The highest court of the land reasoned in its decision that Mr Quayson was a dual-citizen at the time of filing to run for office.
Ghana’s laws do not permit dual-citizens to run for public office.
Mr Quayson is facing criminal charges in connection with the dual citizenship row.
He has been charged with perjury and deceiving a public official when he denied owing allegiance to any other country apart from Ghana.
His lawyers had prayed the court to freeze the case until after the by-election but the state opposed that prayer in court on Friday, 16 June 2023.
The court denied Mr Quayson’s request and adjourned the matter to 21 June 2023.
